


First Steps

by Volixia666



Series: Star Trek: Family, Duty, and Loyalty to Oneself [3]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 00:04:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18727591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Volixia666/pseuds/Volixia666
Summary: Garak takes a few first steps in being a parent. Sisko gets to see a thorn in his side deal with the more aggravating parts of parenting. And Julian learns Garak will continue to be infuriating no matter the situation.





	First Steps

            Sisko wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting when he decided to make his way to the tailor’s shop. He knew the tailor was there with the child, and after a day of reading and signing a variety of reports, seeing the child himself was a welcome distraction. He was admittedly also curious about what a Cardassian child would be like. He hadn’t really gotten to speak with Rugel during that mess, though the boy was also close to Jake’s age. According to the adoption papers this girl, Sunar, was ten. The way she was curled up asleep on Garak’s lap during that holo-call certainly brought back memories, but was she similar to human children in other ways? Or was she incredibly serious? Were Cardassian children like miniature adults, or did they have that window of blissful innocence as well?

Yet in all of the scenarios he could think of, he certainly wasn’t expecting to hear the familiar shrieking of a child in the midst of a tantrum.

            “-translator now!” He heard a small girl’s voice shriek. Sisko felt some dark amusement at the sigh Garak made. The sigh all parents made at some point in their life. As he came closer, he actually saw the two. The little Cardassian girl had her hands in fists and seemed to be glaring death at Garak, who seemed uncharacteristically angry.

            “You will receive your Universal Translator at your Age of Emergence. That is _final_.” Garak stated harshly.

            “Want it now!” The little one shrieked. “I. Want. It. Now!”

            Garak threw his arms up in the air. “How is this so difficult to grasp?”

            Perhaps it wasn’t his place, but Sisko doubted he could let this argument go on much longer. So he stepped in. “Well, perhaps because she’s still a child?” He pointed out. Garak’s expression changed, and was back to smiling as the Cardassian spoke to him.

            “Ah, Commander Sisko. What a pleasant surprise. Are you here for a new suit to wear while you yell at Admirals?” Garak said cheerfully. Meanwhile the girl gasped and her eyes went wide. She immediately bowed.

            “Emissary, your honor, it’s…It’s an honor to meet you.”

            Sisko was stunned. He’d experienced that reaction from Bajoran children before, but a _Cardassian_ child? He looked back at Garak whose smile seemed strained. So most likely not a joke set up by the tailor. Sisko knelt down.

            “It’s nice to meet you too. Your name?” He asked the girl directly. But she didn’t move. Garak sighed.

            “He’s saying it’s nice to meet you, and would like your name.” Garak translated for her.

            “I would have known that if you gave me the stupid translator.” Sunar muttered, and Sisko had to do his best to not chuckle at that. He looked at Garak.

            “No translator for her?”

            “No. Not until she has reached her Age of Emergence. It wouldn’t be proper.” Garak said. He tsked. “Sunar, do stand up straight.”

            “The Emissary is here.” She replied.

            Sisko smiled at her. “Well then Mr. Garak, could you tell your daughter that she doesn’t need to bow any time I enter the room.”

            Garak relayed the information, and Sisko couldn’t help but chuckle at Sunar’s response. “You’re lying!”

            “Believe it or not my dear, I do actually tell the truth. This being one of the times.” Garak replied. Ah Sisko could feel the fatigue. Perhaps it was petty, but there was some sadistic joy in knowing a thorn in his side had to deal with the same frustrations he once did.

            Still. There was a question. “What does the Age of Emergence have to do with a translator?” Sisko asked. “As a child living on a Federation station, she’ll need to know what people are saying.”

            “The Age of Emergence is when a child is about to head into adulthood. For lack of better phrasing.” Garak explained. “By which point, her language centers will have finished developing. If her chosen career requires a translator, then by all means. A translator she receives. But until then, she must learn to speak naturally.”

            “I _can_ talk! I’m talking right now!” Sunar said, no longer bowing, but glaring at Garak.

            “You’ve hardly grasped all the nuances of our language.” Garak said to her, rolling his eyes.

            Ah. So that was the key. Nuances. Still, this brought up an issue regarding a certain request Garak had made. “Unfortunately, she can’t become a Federation citizen without either understanding Federation common or a Universal Translator.”

            Garak raised an eyebrow. “Oh? An odd little rule, don’t you think. What about children born on Federation planets, who haven’t quite learned common yet?”

            Sisko sighed. He should have realized bringing up a regulation would now mean debating it. “They’re born into the Federation.”

            “And children on planets entering the Federation? I’ve heard rumors there are Bajorans who’d like it if Bajor became a member of the Federation. Would their children not be citzens? What of the adults who do not wish a translator, but are too old to learn a new language?”

            “Planets joining the Federation have different rules.” Sisko explained. “Though last I checked, Cardassia had no such plans.”

            “Oh that is very true. I’m not sure how Cardassia would fare under Federation values.” Garak stated.

            “Then why have a Cardassian become a Federation citizen?” Sisko said firmly.

            “Because a single Cardassian is far different than the entire race.” Garak said simply. “Besides, there are a couple useful values. Still. This is off topic. I believe my dilemma is why have such a ridiculous rule.”

            More deflection. One of these days he’d get the answer out of Garak. “The rule was put in place to make sure communication was possible.”

            “Ah, but _was_ it? It seems a little odd that a group with as many resources as the Federation would require such an archaic regulation.”

            “Archaic? It just _is_.” Though Garak’s needling was making Sisko ponder it more. And the more he pondered, the less he liked it. Why _did_ those applying necessitate a Universal Translator? Or Federation Common? They had enough translators, that even if speaking was one sided, they could still simply use speech to text on padds, and have the padd translate to the other language. And aside from rare cases where the citizen was living on a space station, or moving to Earth, they would be living among those who speak the same language anyways.

            “Something on your mind?” Garak asked pleasantly. Sisko sighed.

            “The only loophole off the top of my head, is that there must be proof of her learning common at the time of approval.” He gestured at Sunar. “If you can find her a tutor for common, then there won’t be any issue.”

           Garak bowed his head. “Quite an acceptable compromise.”

           Sisko sighed, “Just don’t make me regret this, Mr. Garak.”

          “Of course. How could I, a mere tailor, make you regret such a simple decision.”

          Sisko decided to not even bother responding to that. He did however, give Sunar a smile and a wave goodbye. She grinned and waved back. As Sisko walked away, he felt pleased. There were plenty of adults who found him terrifying, or at the very least intimidating. Particularly after becoming Commander, which apparently meant asserting himself every other day. Yet though adults became wary until they knew him, children never seemed to care. Apparently even Cardassian children thought he was safe. It made him feel there was hope, though what kind of hope was unclear, in all children of all species.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! With another two-parter. Julian will get his time to shine in the next chapter.
> 
> Ah the trials of parenthood.


End file.
